Museum of the Invention of Photography by Niépce: Seasonal Opening

As every year, the Maison Nicéphore Niépce will open its doors to visitors from around the world during the summer, from July 2 to August 31, 2025. Nestled in Saint-Loup-de-Varennes, in Burgundy, this residence is much more than a museum: it is the birthplace of a revolution that transformed our relationship with the world, art, memory, and science.

A Historic Site in the Heart of Burgundy

It was here, in this modest and inspiring house, that Nicéphore Niépce, a visionary inventor, created photography in 1824. This house, which has stood the test of time, still bears the marks of that foundational experiment. Every room, every wall seems to carry the imprint of Niépce’s inventive genius. The house serves as a reminder that every innovation is built on trials, failures, and above all, immense patience — qualities that Niépce possessed to an extraordinary degree.

Visiting the Maison Niépce is much more than a historical pilgrimage: it is an immersive experience into the world of a man driven by curiosity, observation, and the desire to push the boundaries of the possible. It is a journey into the 19th century where science, art, and technology converge toward a single goal: capturing light.

Guided tours offer visitors the chance to explore the rooms where Niépce lived and worked, as well as reconstructions of the darkrooms with which the first photographs were taken. The public can discover the heliography process, the direct ancestor of modern photographic techniques.

This unique place was officially recognized as a “Maison des Illustres” in 2013 by the Ministry of Culture, under the prestigious sponsorship of the Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Fine Arts.

Celebrating 200 Years of Photography: A Historic Moment

1824–2024: two centuries of photography. Photography has spanned two centuries of technological, aesthetic, social, and cultural upheaval, without ever losing its power to capture, witness, and preserve memory.

The Maison Niépce has naturally placed itself at the heart of the celebrations. This birthplace, modest in size but immense in symbolic importance, embodies the founding act of an art that has become universal. Since 1999, Spéos has been fully committed to preserving this exceptional heritage. By taking on the conservation, enhancement, and public opening of the Maison Niépce, Spéos is actively working to keep the legacy of photography alive. This partnership combines scientific rigor, heritage passion, and educational transmission.